Ever had someone put you on a pedestal? I mean, you know when people start saying things like, “Oh, you don’t know what it’s like to…” or “You’ve don’t have insecurities about this…” Has anyone ever said something similar to you? Have you made those comments yourself? I hate it when people say those kinds of things to me. I let a dear friend read over a chapter in a novel I was writing and she said, “Oh, I didn’t think you needed any support with your writing, you’re such a great writer.” I nearly fainted. Why would anyone think that just because you’re good at something that you wouldn’t need words of encouragement?

It makes me wonder what I did to help them co-create that perception? Sometimes we have very little to do with it but sometimes we play a part in creating people’s perception of us. We won’t ask for assistance even when we desperately need it. We don’t let people see us cry or vulnerable because somebody has convinced us that this is a weakness. We strive to always be on. And so forth and so on. You get the idea. If someone has unfairly placed you on a pedestal, you might need to check to see if you provided the stepladder.